ACU has just released new Research to Practice Issues!

The quarterly ICPS Research to Practice Series links the findings of research undertaken by ICPS, to the development of policy and practice in the area of child, youth and family welfare.

The issues they have looked at are:

• Interventions and practice principles for supporting young people who are homeless
• Identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people

For all the info check out this link: http://www.acu.edu.au/566948

Source: AYAC enews July 2013

The Australian Youth Forum (AYF) is keen to hear from young people on the issues of youth homelessness and youth mental health.

The AYF encourages young people to get involved in public discussion and gives them the opportunity to make sure their ideas are considered in the development of Australian public policy, programs or projects.

The AYF will use the feedback received from young people to produce an AYF report on each issue. The report will be provided to the Australian Government and posted on the AYF website.

Check out the AYF website for more information and to have a say.

20 June 2013: Queensland’s peak body for ethnic and migrant communities, the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ), has called on the State Government to be vigilant in ensuring minimal dislocation to some ethnic and refugee communities as public housing is transferred to community management in Logan, Australia’s most culturally diverse city.

Speaking at an ECCQ public meeting last night, Queensland Shelter Executive Officer, Adrian Pisarski, welcomed the transfer of public housing to the community sector but cautioned that defunding of tenant advisory services and the implementation of the Newman Government’s anti-social behaviour policy, which becomes effective next month, may mean increased evictions, and thus homelessness, especially in disadvantaged communities.

ECCQ’s Senior Policy Officer, Fiona Caniglia, called on the government to implement a culturally responsive approach which includes matching larger households to larger dwellings and integrating employment opportunities with the expansion of community housing service providers and the housing stock.

“The pilot location for the transfer of housing stock is Logan, one of the most culturally diverse locations in Queensland and a place where there is a high concentration of public housing,” she said.

“The objective must be sustained housing and providers will need to be culturally competent to address the needs of these communities.”

She said that recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data on homelessness in Australia show a significant increase in CALD representation among homeless people with 75% of the increase in homelessness accounted for by people born overseas.

“Unemployment and low English language proficiency are negatively correlated and low income impacts access to housing and other opportunities to participate fully in society, such as education and social activities,” said Ms Caniglia.

“This is an opportunity to bring about broader changes in the arrangements between public and private housing, such as improvements in infrastructure that create a sense of belonging, further collaboration with stakeholders as well as situations where CALD community members are trained and employed to deliver housing services.” 

She said ECCQ was working to identify and support an implementation process that is culturally responsive to ensure communities have access to affordable housing close to employment and services.  

Mr Pisarski said state and federal governments had, until recently, significantly underfunded, and reduced, public housing “which makes meeting the needs of low-income families, recently arrived migrants and some CALD communities a huge challenge.”

“In 2007 the Federal Government invested heavily in social and affordable housing by marrying the need for housing with the need for an effective economic stimulus package and this resulted in several thousand new dwellings in Queensland,” he said.

“We need to get back to public housing as infrastructure issue rather than a welfare issue.”

View ECCQ's discussion paper, ‘From Strength to Strength: Cultural responsiveness and social housing reforms’.

For more information about ECCQ visit www.eccq.com.au.

Contact

Fiona Caniglia
Senior Policy Officer
fiona.caniglia@gmail.com
Phone: 0400 1964 92

Carrie Barnett      
Media & Communications Officer         
carrieb@eccq.com.au            
Phone: 07 3844 9166

 Youth Homelessness Matters Day is raising awareness for the 26,000 young people who have no place to go by asking everyday people to give up their bed for the night on 10 April.

The National Youth Coalition for Housing wants you to stay at a friend’s, sleep on the porch, crash on the couch or snooze in the office. Help break the stigma of homelessness by highlighting the various places and uncertainty experienced when you don't have safe, stable and affordable accommodation. They also want you to:

• Pledge to complete the action.
• Share where you sleep using #YHMD or tagging @YHMDay in photos.
• Organise your friends and family to complete the call by hosting a sleepover or sleep out.

You can make a pledge at: http://www.youthhomelessnessmatters.net/

Source: Youth Field Xpress March 2013

Source: http://www.brisvaani.com/townsville-homeless-hub-is-lending-a-hand/

People in Townsville who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless are able to access vital support through the Townsville Homelessness Hub, which was officially opened today by Communities Minister Tracy Davis.

Ms Davis said the hub provided a one-stop-shop approach to link people with the local services they need.

“The Newman Government is providing the Australian Red Cross with more than $579,000 each year for three years to run the hub,” Ms Davis said.

“It will provide homeless people with information, advice and access to specialist homeless and housing services.

Interview with Maria Leebeek [Director Queensland Youth Housing Coalition]
By Siyavash Doostkhah [Youth Affairs Network Queensland]

SIYAVASH: You are leaving the sector tomorrow after many many years, tell us, how long have you been in the sector? What was your first job?

MARIA: I started in the sector in... 1990 I think it was. I was at Brisbane Youth Service actually, but I've been in the sector a bit longer than that actually, because I did my placement at Youth Advocacy, so before that, so that was, um. So, yes, I came in the sector about 1990, I did my placement in 1989 or something.

SIYAVASH: So initially you were doing hands on work in service management, so then at some stage you moved into policy and advocacy. What motivated you to do that? When was that?

Agencies in the Ipswich area are seeking expressions of interest in running this training in Ipswich during the year. If you are interested, please register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8R6CDRJ This session is for housing providers, housing advocates, support workers and community development practitioners. The training will explore the diverse roles and responsibilities and share frameworks for how a synergised and integrated approach to support and tenancy planning can achieved sustained housing outcomes. The session will combine presentations, presentations, discussions, workshops, case studies and role plays.

Source: Under1Roof enews

Under 1 Roof partnerships have been utilised by bric housing company to begin a weekly drop in session at Boundary Street and conduct a tenant needs audit of the building. A working group was convened with various support agencies participating.

A commitment was made to contribute two staff to contribute two hours of time on a weekly basis. The support staff engaged Boundary street residents in their community space downstairs to complete a tenant needs audit. The purpose of this is twofold – one to ensure every tenant has an active DOH application, current ID and can identify support agency/s that can assist them according to their needs. Secondly, we are asking tenants what their interests and needs are in relation to assisting them to organise future community activities in the building. This will also help to identify other visiting services. Tea, coffee and light snacks are being provided and this has drawn people down to the space and provided opportunity for conversation in an informal setting.

Plans for this project in the new year involve:

• Completion of the audit by mid-January and a write up of results and a model for potential use in other similar settings. 
• Follow up with tenants that require more intensive assistance to get their housing and support needs met, and linking them in to appropriate services. Where necessary this may include a referral to U1R case coordination.
• Engaging additional agencies to drop in to the space and offer outreach based services that could assist tenants with their needs. 
• Assisting in the establishment of Boundary Street community groups and activities that are tenant led and based on shared interests.

How to get involved: We are very keen to get more agencies on board with this project in 2013. If you would like to be involved please contact Angela Taylor on taylora@missionaustralia.com.au or 0477 330 738.